Well, HE was... at least, Kenneth was fairly certain it was a man. Yes, it's most certainly a man.

A big man, not fat... but broad, wearing a black fumigation mask and red sunglasses. Kenneth would have thought some crazy shit was going down had they all been wearing masks, but as far as Kenneth could tell, this man was a special case.

“If you care to place down your weapons at the end of the hall, we can talk. We just wanted to make sure these survivors were not raiders before offering assistance. I would like to make that same assurance on your end. We are not raiders, nor have any intention of being so.”

Definitely a man, and a calm, collected man at that. Kenneth guessed this was either a leader of sorts or the right hand man of some leader. Kenneth also thought that the man sounded reasonable, as well as his friends, but then again, most people are when they have a stranger with a gun in front of them. Take the gun away and the game changes...

Maybe Kenneth was being unreasonable. They seem friendly enough. Either way, he hadn't survived this long by putting his gun down at the whim of another.

"Now Daniel," Kenneth said, just loud enough for Daniel to hear, "I don't know 'bout you, but I'm not ready just yet to be tossin' my weapon to the ground for these strangers. I do want to talk to them, but I'm not too trustin' of these folks yet. This is a decision for the both of us though. What do you think we should do?"

Daniel could hardly believe it. Someone knocks in a post-apocalyptic world and you just stroll out to see who it is; unarmed.The young man who had walked into the hallway almost made Daniel drop his guard. "What the..." Daniel thought to himself as the man loudly greeted them.Daniel thought that it couldn't get weirder than this when a lady edged out into the hallway with her arms raised. The words she spoke flew in one ear and out the other. Daniel was simply stunned.His image of rough, merciless looters shattered like a glasshouse falling victim to a Katusha barrage.Daniel was at a complete loss for words. What could he say?Kenneth became the solution as he awkwardly stated their intent.A silence lasting barely a few seconds lay over the hallway before Daniel could hear someone else coming. Around the corner came what Daniel thought was the most intimidating (living) man he had ever seen.The mask and the red glasses gave Daniel the feeling that this man was barely even human.This man was something along the lines of what Daniel had imagined all along. While the other two looked like regulars who had tried to cling onto their past selves, this man was... different. Daniel couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"If you care to place down your weapons at the end of the hall, we can talk. We just wanted to make sure these survivors were not raiders before offering assistance. I would like to make that same assurance on your end. We are not raiders, nor have any intention of being so.""Talk?" Daniel thought to himself in a very surprised tone.He was presented with some armed brute who looked like he could even command the Zeds to do his biding. And this man was offering to talk rather than trying to be some god of the living.The "old" gash on Daniel's right arm started to suddenly itch. "Fresh" memories started to flood into his mind. Bad memories."I'm the boss here and you punks do as I say without any argument! Now go!" The voice rang in Dan's head.

"Now Daniel, I don't know 'bout you, but I'm not ready just yet to be tossin' my weapon to the ground for these strangers. I do want to talk to them, but I'm not too trustin' of these folks yet. This is a decision for the both of us though. What do you think we should do?"Daniel felt slightly dizzy. He tried to see the eyes of the huge man by the broken door, but the glasses weren't transparent at this distance, even though he could feel them. Kenneth's sudden reply had snapped Daniel out of his flashbacks.Still crouched and without a word, Daniel took a Monkey step into the opening of the door. He stared directly at the man, who Daniel assumed was the leader, with an unamused expression. He then lays the shotgun down on the floor and pushes it several feet forward; ignoring Kenneth's reactionHe hastily unzips his filthy hodie and throws it over the shotgun, revealing a t-shirt that used to be grey but was now black, brown and dark red. Still with the same face and not taking his eyes of the man. The old newspapers slide out of the inside of the hodie.Daniel then grabs his knife and drags it along his cheeks, not caring for the puzzled looks the two other people gave him. Most of the "fur" falls to the ground and strangely, not a single cut now decorated his face.

"Jacket." Daniels suddenly says. "That sweater there wasn't well padded. If someone have a spare jacket then please donate it. I'll repay you."Daniel's unamused expression became serious the moment he opened his lips, but his voice remains in the same indifferent tone."I have another request. And I speak on behalf of myself as I do not know exactly what Kenneth wants. Let me tag along with you. I'll pull my own weight and aid in whatever way I can."It looked as if the woman was about to say something. Daniel snapped his teeth in a dog-like manner, though no growling, and looked back at the giant."The second part of my request is simple: If you refuse then please kill me." Daniel could feel the reactions of the others, but not the leader. "This winter will kill me if I do not manage to get a semi-permanent/permanent place to warm up and rest. I'd rather die painlessly here than to freeze/starve to death alone in some corner and be a Popsicle for the zeds."Daniel's eyes were as sincere and serious as could be. His face then calms and a wide, tired smile appears."Well, My name is Daniel. I have no intent of harming any of you and hope to get to know y--"Daniel stands up and realizes the limit of his stamina. His head is spinning and his eyes darken."Fuc--"Daniel mutters right before he collapses into the corridor.

Billie had thought things were going in a more civil direction when Ignot stepped out with her and rather than instantly making demands or outright shooting the two outsiders he made a very reasonable request of them. She wasn’t surprised that one seemed weary of doing so…Ignot did just kick in the front door of someone’s hiding spot loudly enough to attract these two lost souls from the lower floors. That coupled with Ignot's daunting presence would make her unwilling to part with a gun had her and Kenneth's situations been reversed. The other man’s actions however, defied logic.

Billie watched as he surrendered his weapon, sliding it toward Ignot. And with eyes still locked on Ignot the man started to cut his face. Without a thought Billie took a step forward, thinking the man was going to start mutilating himself. She stopped just as quickly as she started when Daniel started talking, having only cut a bit of facial hair from his cheek. Her lips parted to speak; to tell him he could have her jacket since even from this distance she could tell the man was ill. But he snapped at her like dog…not helping in Billie’s impression that he was as rabid as he appeared to be.

"This winter will kill me if I do not manage to get a semi-permanent/permanent place to warm up and rest. I'd rather die painlessly here than to freeze/starve to death alone in some corner and be a Popsicle for the zeds."

Her eyes widen as his words fully hit her. Her eyes shot to the discarded sweater on the floor. Paradoxical undressing. She replayed his words in her head. Apathy towards his condition. She glanced to the knife in his hand and how he gave himself an impromptu shave. Poor decision-making. And she looked back to Daniel just in time for him to sway. Lack of coordination followed by…

Daniel hit the ground with a dull sound. …Unconsciousness. There was a clatter as Billie’s axe joined Daniel on the floor. The doctor already rushing forward without a thought to Kenneth…who still had his gun to them. In her mind Billie didn’t think to identify herself as a doctor. Her mind was swimming with thoughts of what she believed to be Daniel’s condition…Hypothermia.

Daniel, who appeared to be in a world all his own, had just done the unthinkable. Then again, desparation makes you do the unthinkable, and in the end, Kenneth couldn't blame Daniel one bit, even if his actions did end up costing them their supplies... or their lives.

Daniel was desparate. A slim, hungry teenage lad who, somehow, has made it this far during the closest thing to Hell this world would ever experience. Kenneth didn't blame Daniel for a thing.

The whole mess was a blur... the sliding of the gun, the undressing, the words that were just a buzz in Kenneth's mind, the impromptu shaving, the dizziness followed by the thud. Kenneth watched, mouth agape as Daniel hit the floor. Before he even thought to react, the woman with the axe dropped her weapon, it's lound CLANG resonating through the area, and ran to Daniel. Kenneth barely noticed the 'Star of Life' logo on her jacket. This woman was a doctor, or at least someone who had medical knowledge. Kenneth scolded himself as he lowered his shotgun and ran to Daniel. He should have taken into better account Daniel's state of health. He was not much younger than Kenneth, but he was still just a boy.

No... not a boy. No boy could survive a world filled with the walking dead, insane survivors, constant depression, malnutrition, stress, suicide... Daniel was a man of his own making.

"Thank you so much little man, I really needed some H2O there. You're a lifesaver! Now get back on with your mama and stay close. Mr. Frank needs to go talk to the grown-ups ok?"

Anthony took back the bottle, now topped, and moved as quickly as his little feet could carry him back to Mama Betty."Thank you, Little Bear," he heard Mama say as she took the bottle from him, "you did a very good job." Anthony smiled toothily at her before hiding behind her skirt once more. Bethany straightened up just as she heard voices from the hallway. It seemed something else was going on outside.

"Look, I know you probably aren't feeling that trusting after the way we burst in, but I want you to hear me out. We're staying in an old apartment out in the suburbs. Big place, a lot of empty rooms, and it's secure. You should come back with us. It's better defended than this place, we've got food and water and we could definitely fit in a few more people."

Her heart leaped at what Liam was saying. To have a place among people once again, and perhaps even a friend for young Anthony, it was like a sign from the Lord himself. Or the devil, she quickly reminded herself, however, his tricks come in many forms, and his hand has been in play for some time now.

"That is a very generous offer, Liam," Bethany replied courteously, "but I'm sure you are aware that this is something we should discuss with each other, aren't you?"

"Of course," Liam nodded to Bethany as he spoke. "It's up to you. We can't force you to come back with us."

That wasn't technically true, of course. They had the numbers and the weapons to do whatever they pleased with the three new survivors, but that was exactly the kind of situation Liam was trying to avoid.

Logged

Now hollow fires burn out to black, and lights are guttering low.Square your shoulders, lift your pack, and leave your friends and go.Oh, never fear, man, naught's to dread, look not to left nor right:In all the endless road you tread, there's nothing but the night.

Leland saw one of the young men rush over to Billie. What his intention was, Leland had no idea.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Whoah whoah whoah! Back up!" Leland then noticed he was facing this guy down with nothing but a pointed finger, so he lifted Billie's axe off the floor and choked up on the handle. He pointed the blade to the young man and took a few steps towards Billie.

"Just take a step back buddy. Give her room." Leland glanced at the shotgun on the floor and then back at the young man. "Just give her room."

Billie ignored Kenneth’s question, kneeling next to Daniel. The woman carefully rolled the boy onto his back, handling him like glass. She put two fingers to his neck, finding a slower pulse than she would have wanted. Billie unzipped her heavy jacket; it quickly followed by an oversized university hoodie. The medic shudder mildly at the chill of the air she was now exposed to, only keeping a very thin long-sleeved tee for herself.

Wordlessly, the medic began putting her clothing on Daniel knowing he needed the extra layers…plus the clothes were already warm from her body heat. Zipping up her jacket on the teen, Billie took a moment to push some of his thick brown hair from his face. Daniel couldn’t be more than eighteen years old. He also had to be at least six feet tall and easily outweighed Billie despite his obvious malnutrition. This presented a problem in that all that was necessary to treat hypothermia and malnutrition was across the street…and up a ladder…this further complicated by the possibility of bloodthirsty zombies.

“Ignot, he needs to be taken out of the cold. Now.” Billie knew her recklessness towards a situation as delicate as a stand-off would probably get her chided by Ignot later, but right now he should fear her if he thought for a minute this little exercise was going to continue when a boy lay possible freezing to death on the floor.

“I’ll take him to the apartment and you can stay here with the those three,” Billie nodded her head toward the apartment of Frank, Bethany and Antony. “Daniel doesn’t have time to wait around for them to make up their minds.”

The fact Billie turned away from Ignot and said no more to him made it clearly that regardless of his input she had made the decision that her plan was going to be followed.

As her eyes had come away from Ignot, Billie was forced to do a double take. She hadn’t realized at some point during her examination of Daniel, Leland had come to her side…to defend her against Kenneth…who had already put down his gun. Billie gave the young corpsman a flat look. Not that she didn’t appreciate the underlying chivalry of the action, but she had a hard time understanding what it is with men and their paranoia…just as much so as Ignot or Leland may have in comprehending her trusting nature.

“You…” Billie started, getting to her feet and looking pointedly at Leland, “Give that here.” The medic didn’t wait for the other to hand over her axe, taking it from him instead then pointing at Daniel with her unburdened hand. “You’ll need to carry him. Carefully.” She knelled again, picking up the fallen gun and offering it back to its owner. “Kenneth, you are going to help me cover Leland and Daniel as we make our back across the street. We have a secure home and I can better care for Daniel there. Got it?”

The woman ignored Kenneth's question and instead focused on examining Daniel's problem. Kenneth had no idea what could be wrong with Daniel, but it most certainly had to do at least with his lack of nutrition.

Ignot, he needs to be taken out of the cold. Now. Ill take him to the apartment and you can stay here with the those three, Billie nodded her head toward something that Kenneth wasn't quite sure of. Daniel doesnt have time to wait around for them to make up their minds.

Kenneth didn't know who Ignot was for a fact, but he presumed it to be the big man with the painter's mask and red shades.

Suddenly, Kenneth was startled by a man behind the medic (or doctor, or nurse, Kenneth wasn't sure...) shouting at him.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Whoah whoah whoah! Back up!" The man then lifted the axe the woman was carrying from the floor and started to advance. "Just take a step back buddy. Give her room."

The woman, however, gave him a quick, flat look, which seemed to stop him. She then took the axe from him and started to give orders.

You  the woman began, getting to her feet, speaking to the defensive man, Give that here. Youll need to carry him. Carefully. She kneeled again, picking up the fallen gun and offering it back to Kenneth. Kenneth, you are going to help me cover Leland and Daniel as we make our back across the street. We have a secure home and I can better care for Daniel there. Got it?

A million things were racing through Kenneths head : Daniel, the woman, the man named Leland, the man with the mask, the street, the potential help, the potential harm, the zombies, Tanya...

Kenneth didn't have much of a choice anymore.

Kenneth took the shotgun and gave it a good grip. "Yes ma'am, I... I got it. Just... let's get Daniel whatever he needs... then we'll talk about everything else. I'm... I'm sorry if I scared you when I ran up on ya like that, I just... well, I just damn met Daniel and... well shit, I don't want him to die now. I'll do whatever you need."

Ignot figured that the with both Leeland and Billie reacting to Daniel and Kenneth, the last thing they needed was a pulled weapon. He glanced down to see the pistol he'd left unbuckled already halfway out of it's holster, his finger beginning to snake it's way around the trigger for a fast shot. With much hesitation, he placed the gun back into it's holster and glanced back toward Billie, who was hefting the man up onto her shoulders and barking orders to him and the other two in attendance.

As much as Ignot knew he was intimidating, as much as he worked on it, he knew that he could never garner that much force into his words as Billie did when someone was in trouble. He unzipped his jacket under his flak vest and forced Billie to stop from walking past him. Leeland quickly shouldered Daniel as Ignot whipped the jacket onto Billie quicker than she could throw a fit about it.

"Remember your jacket, Billie. It's cold outside." He said, with the closest glimmer of humor in his voice since this whole thing began. He looked back up at her and stared for a second. Getting out of the way, he watched the trio walk past until Kenneth walked past. Shooting a hand out, he grabbed the shotgun with such force that Kenneth didn't have a chance to move it. Looking directly at him, he just stared at him. After a few tense seconds, he spoke, his voice low and calculated.

"If i find her missing, dead, or even just late back, there will be nothing in this universe that can save you from me." With that, he let go of the gun and motioned for him to catch up with the rest of the group. HE stuttered and spat, trying to gather up a response, before giving up and jogging to catch up with Billie and Leeland.

He watched them walk around the corner before walking back into the apartment and looking at everyone there.

"As much as I would like to give you all a long time to consider my proposal, we must get out of here and make it back to the apartments before nightfall. Are you three coming with us?" He asked to the group they had intruded on.

Logged

"May I take a moment to tell you the joys of National Socialism?" - Also Red Beret

Leland found it tricky to stay balanced with Daniel across his shoulders, but he developed a rhythm and powered his way down the flights of stairs. Kenneth and Billie were close behind him, but he would be the one setting the pace. Leland frowned; an hour in the harsh weather could kill someone in Daniel’s condition. They would have to beat their previous pace.

“Ok, Kenneth?” He called back. “We got maybe an hour’s walk back to the apartment, but we are gonna hafta motor if we want to get this kid safe. So you gotta stay sharp!” Reaching the ground floor, Leland allowed Kenneth and Billie to catch up before he took Daniel off his shoulders and laid him down. He took his rifle and tossed it to Billie, which she barely managed to catch in time.

Leland bent over Daniel and put his arms through the jacket Bille had provided for him, then zipped it closed. “Bundle up people.” He warned, he heard them zip up their jackets and smiled. Leland took his backpack off and wore it across his chest. He squatted down and pulled Daniel’s arms over his head. He then grabbed his legs and stood up, essentially giving the young man a “piggyback ride.”

Only twenty minutes into their trek, Leland was beginning to feel the weight of the situation. The wind was beginning to pick up, leaving the streets filled with thigh-deep, heavy snow. The skies were growing overcast as well, robbing any possible sunlight and warmth. His knees and back were already getting sore and sweat stung his eyes.

And then there were those…things. Almost as soon as they left the apartment Billie had noticed a pair of zombies in an alley. They were trying to make their way towards them, but the deep snow effectively stopped them. “Don’t even bother with them!” She cautioned. “Just keep moving!”

Despite the occasional roamer, the roads were fairly safe. Regardless, Leland had to credit his companions. Billie, knowing the way back, had taken point, and Kenneth was covering alleys and their blind spots like a veteran.

While stomping across the city, Leland began to notice something. It was a sound that had been there a while, but he had been unable to notice it, from either the wind or the stress. It was a low, powerful, whirring noise. Not unlike an idling engine. He stopped to try and pick out its location, but the noise bounced off of every apartment, house, and parked car. He couldn’t find it. The wails of the undead didn’t help either.

“You hear it too?”

Leland turned to see Kenneth looking around quizzically. “And here I thought it was your guys.” He added.

It had taken them close to an hour to finally reach their home, and an additional twenty minutes to get Daniel’s unconscious body up the fire escape into the building.

When Leland stepped through the window and felt the strong arms of Kai pull him in, he nearly fainted. He grabbed the edge of the window and stabilized himself and then turned to offer a hand to Billie. “No, no, Leland.” She assured him. “I’m fine.” She crouched under the window and immediately set herself to tending to Daniel.

Leland waved Kenneth in off of the fire escape and then crossed the common room, towards the hallways, dropping his heavy pack in a chair. His breathing heavy and his face red, Leland needed a break. He pushed open the door to his room and began peeling off his clothes. His jeans and boots were soaked through, and his jacket and sweatshirt reeked of sweat. He undressed as much as was comfortable and dove under his blankets, curling up for warmth.

“J-j-j-just unt-t-t-til I warm up.” He repeated to himself. “G-g-g-gotta go b-b-b-back for the others.”

Billie smiled at the concern Kenneth showed for Daniel. All the woman could do at the moment was pat his shoulder reassuringly in promise that she’d do everything in her power to help his friend.

Billie raised her arms above her head, using the weight of her axe to help stretch the muscles of her arms. She flinched a bit when her bones popped audibly under the slightly strain and Billie lowered her arms as she thought of the long trek ahead of her. Daniel should be able to survive with her jacket helping to insulate him and the zombies shouldn’t pose a significant threat due to the almost complete immobility the cold and snow caused them. But would she be able to make it?

The thought crossed her mind as she looked at her gloved hands and the thin sweater material tucked into them. The woman sighed heavily, eyes narrowing in determination. She didn’t feel cold at all. Her body felt warm and her fingers were tingling as they clenched around the handle of her axe. The woman knew the adrenaline of the situation would die down and the cold would eventually get to her. Trying to psyche herself into believing she won’t feel the cold during the hour long journey back to the apartment, Billie become so lost in her thoughts she jumped when Ignot stopped her.

"Remember your jacket, Billie. It's cold outside." He said, with the closest glimmer of humor in his voice since this whole thing began.

The woman couldn’t help but smile fondly at her friend as he put his jacket around her shoulders. She hadn’t realized how cold she had truly become until the warm embrace of the jacket around her made her shiver at the contrast in temperatures. Billie couldn’t help but pause a moment to look at Ignot, her smile lingered at that ridiculous orange beanie of his. Rather than say anything or make an promises of waiting for him at the apartment, Billie just reached out and touched his arm gently before moving on to lead her little party to their home. Besides, Ignot knew she was much too stubborn to die.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The trip back to the apartment was uneventful. There had been a few zombies struggling to move through the snow and despite it being a smart idea to stop and end the creatures, Billie urged the others to ignore the undead and keep moving. Time and weather weren't on their side and the zombies posed a minimally threat for now.

To her discomfort, Leland had given her his rifle. Billie did not like nor know how to use guns. She had no intention of wasting the ammo as none of the zombies the small group encountered had any hope of catching them. As uncomfortable as Billie was with the gun, more unsettling was the sound of something akin to an engine rumbling and echoing all around them off the empty streets and buildings. Kenneth and Leland stopped but Billie urged them on again. The noise didn’t matter right now…and to be honest it caused her a great deal of anxiety. If the sound was a running engine that would mean people and even with her usual faith in people she’d rather not be caught out in the snow with an injured teenager surrounded by zombies and potential dangerous strangers. She quickly made a mental note to tell Ignot about the sound before pushing it out of her thoughts and focusing on getting Kenneth, Leland and Daniel to the apartment safely.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Relief washed over the woman once everyone was safely in the apartment. Despite shivering from the cold and her nerves she refused to relax. Billie could easily see Leland was exhausted; he carried Daniel the entire way. She’d have to thank Leland later but right now the teenager needed her attention. Billie instructed Kenneth to carry Daniel to one of the unoccupied rooms. After tucking the boy under the sheets, Billie busied herself with bringing in extra blankets and a space heater from the hallway. Once satisfied that Daniel would be kept warm she told Kenneth that when he woke up he’ll need food and he would have to ask Kai warm up some soup. Despite the boy probably wanting something heartier, soup would help get his internal temperature back up. If all went well Daniel could enjoy the meatloaf Kai was preparing for dinner.

Billie smiled a bit sheepishly when she returned to the kitchen. Kai and to her surprise, Trista were giving her a similar look, one that a parent might give a child for bringing home stray animals. Billie however seemed to find and bring home damaged people to nurse back to health. The doctor silently moved through the common room and back out onto the fire escape. Feeling the weight of her fire axe and Leland’s rifle on her back she considered going back to help Ignot. Billie silently told herself to wait, give the other’s time to make the walk. Her fingers wrapped around the safety railing of the fire escape, eyes trained out to the white world as the wind became stronger and the sky darker.

Trista had been watching silently from sofa in the common room as Leland all but dragged a body through the window. She had tensed initially but upon seeing that she didn’t recognize the boy she relaxed back onto the sofa cushions, watching impassively as another stranger climbed in the window, followed by Billie. The teenager faded back to her original activity of staring disinterested at the ceiling. If she sat in the common room with Kai, he didn’t have to come knocking at her door every ten minutes to check on her. Plus Kai didn’t say much while he cooked. So it was almost like she was alone anyways. Trista stared at Billie as she returned from caring for the unconscious teenager. While Kai’s back was turned the doctor slipped back out onto the fire escape. Trista couldn’t tell if she was just waiting for the others or had left again but she didn’t care to look. Billie was capable of taking care of herself and more than capable of taking care of others. She is strong.

The teenager stood only when Kai left to take the newcomers some hot chocolate. She took one of the remaining cups from the counter and slipped off down the hall. She stood outside the apartment door for a few minutes, hearing nothing from inside. The teenager cracked the door open just a bit, able to see through the darkness that Leland was bundled up under the sheets. Trista crept into the room, not wanting to disturb the corpsman if he was sleeping. She carefully put the steaming cup of hot chocolate on his nightstand and turned to leave.

"Smoke?" Kath held out the cigarette box; not offering him as much as a glance. Daniel raised an eyebrow at the offer. "Why would I start an addictive habit with finite resou--" "Whatever, John" Kaith interrupted him. "I'm simply saying it would be illogical." Daniel said in a know-it-all tone."Whatever you say, Spock" Kath took a deep puff of her cigarette.The morning light started to break over the hills and threw a red shine over the wrecked neighborhood.It was the same type of neighborhood you'd see in the intro of American movies from the 80's that would feature some idyllic family.Half of the buildings were missing roofs. Apparently a plane had executed an emergency landing and crashed somewhere nearby; roof tiles laid spread in the hundreds everywhere."I think I see something" Daniel exclaims. "Where?" Kath's eyes searches eagerly through the debris while she brushes aside her red bangs.Daniel points. "Up left, between that broken fire hydrant and the blue Volvo.""Got it!" Kath mumbles. Over a burnt car crawls a bald man, probably in his early 30's. His clothes consists of shorts and a leather vest. His feet are covered by the remains of his black shoes like a table cloth."Jackpot! Jumper." Kath takes aim with her Remington 700. A loud crack breaks the morning silence as the hunter's forehead gets decorated with a hole. Kath and Daniel silently high fives before Kath flips out her felt pen and makes a tiny mark at the butt of her gun."That is the 26th zombie with this weapon" Kath throws away the remains of the cigarette. "Where is Thomas?"

"Yo, I'm right here!" Kath and Daniel jumped at the sudden voice. Just below the balcony they were standing on stood an Afro-American man waving at them. His blue shirt had big sweat stains that showed off his rather muscular chest and his black rucksack was making rustling noises as he waved.

"Shiiit, I saw that! Here I was coming back from scavenging and then right before I reached the house I saw this crawling fucker approaching me. And then I was like Shit I should start running and then it was like BANG and his fucking brains just flew out of his skull! That was an awesome shot, Kath!"

Thomas' compliment did not affect Kath."Thomas, why the fuck did you go scavenging without telling anyone?!"

"What, I told Daniel. And no fucking way I'm waking up Gary. He would just demand to get the biggest share. And I'm the fastest one in the group anyways."

"<Jo flere kokker, dess mere søl.>" Daniel mumbled.

Kath looks at Daniel with a fiery expression "Shut the fuck up, Johan! Thomas, what if you had been ambushed by a jumper or a puking machine?? And god forbid you ran into a Medusa!

"I ran into neither of 'em, Kath. But I ran into one of them Roid ragers... well, he ran into me, so to speak. Shit, that was fucking wild, man!I got 'im with the crowbar though. But I digress. Looks at this stuff I got!"Thomas throws a small object up to Daniel.

"Dude, fucking A! You found Snicker bars?!" Daniel unpacks it and starts eating it. "Where did you find it anyways? I thought the stores were all looted?"

"I found it in the bulging pockets of some teenage zombie I smashed the head open of. That kid had obviously been looting happy before he was bit. Huge fucking pockets teens walk around with nowadays, I must say."

Daniel nearly chokes on the snicker "*cough* What the fuck, Thomas! Don't eat the yellow snow!"

"Relax, dude. There was no gore on it. Chill. And I've got something for the madam too." Thomas throws Kath a purse. The purse contains three cartons of cigarettes and a lighter.

"Whatever dude. Just get inside before Garry notices that you were gone." Kath mumbles.Daniel gets up and stretches his legs. "Kath, stay on guard here. I need to have a word with Garry about this ammunition waste."

"Just try not to piss him off, Dan" says Thomas in a dejected tone of voice.

Daniel exits the balcony and enters the house. The foul air hit Daniel in the face as he trudged his way through the corridors."Garry, wake up. We need to talk."

A door at the end of the corridor opens and a chubby, yet muscular, sleepy looking middle-aged man steps out."What is it, brat?" Garry mumbles while he rubs his eyes. His tone towards Daniel is full of distaste.

"Since you are the leader of this group, I would like to tell you that we should relocate. We have been here for four days now. There are more and more zombies approaching every day. This is probably because you absolutely want us to shoot every zombie that comes within vicinity rather than to simply let the common infected pass by.We don't have infinite ammo, Garry. The gunfire just attracts more of them, especially the jumpers. Please listen to me for once!"

"Shut up kid. We'll relocate when I think it suits best. I don't need you to tell me what to do." Garry points a dirty finger at Daniel."We can probably stay here one more week."

"Garry, the door isn't even barricaded! A berserker could easily bust it in. And the windows aren't barricaded either! A jumper could crash through them. For fucks sake, Garry! One slip and someone is going to die!"

"And one slip from you and that may be so, brat!" Garry hissed. His cheeks mildly flops around as he speaks.

Daniel's eyes became poisonous and his voice became drenched in hate."I've already told you Garry: Don't fucking threaten me!!" Daniel's hand automatically grabs the handle of his hammer.

"Then you better do as I say you little shit!" Garry yells.

"Why won't you let yourself be reasoned with you old shit?!" Daniel's accent starts to surface alongside his anger."Anna died because of your psychotic need to control everything and everyone! I had to put her down! What were you doing that night, huh?! You retreated back into the fortification while I had to bash her head in. How do you expect me to respect your orders??"

"I should kick your ass you--"

"No I should have kicked your face down to your ass two weeks ago, mother--"One of the doors between Garry and Daniel all of a sudden bursts open. A blond haired man sticks his head out."Shut up, both of you! Garry, we're going to relocate today whether you want to or not! We will hold a meeting in one hour. Until then, don't kill each other!

"Ja wohl, mein Führer" Daniel mumbles sarcastically and turns on his heel and walks back to the balcony.

"Whatever, Edward." Garry snorts and heads back into his room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the living room of the house everyone gathers around a black oak table. No efforts have been taken into cleaning up the place. A thich layer of dust covers almost everything.Six people in all.Daniel, The 17 years old exchange student from Norway; Thomas, the 20 years old university student from Kentucky; Allen, the 34 years old chef from Pennsylvania; Edward, the 28 years old English teacher from Pennsylvania; Kath, the 18 years old Wal-Mart cashier from Delaware, and Garry, the 51 years old butcher from Pennsylvania.

The silence felt awkward for everyone except Daniel who studied his own dirty hands with interest and carefully cleaned his nails with his bayonet.Edward broke the silence while correcting his glasses."So I have decided that we should relocate. You have all probably noticed the increasing number of the infected converging on our position. Now I think we should all discuss exactly where to go.""How about Philly?" Allan asked taut."Are you barking mad?!" Garry exclaims. "There are probably millions of those things there and you just want us to march straight into their reaching arms?""Well I must say that I agree with Garry for once" Thomas thinks loudly.

Allan raises his arms "Hear me out; I don't talk about having a forced march straight there. But it is probably only about a month until the first snow falls and by Christmas, everyone of those monsters will be knee deep in snow. And I'm sure I'm not the only one to have noticed that these things have no core temperature. They would freeze down in the snow and the cold should destroy their bodies! This entire apocalypse could blow over by February. At least someone should have been able to carve out some sort of a living existence there.

"Risky... but you might have a point, Allan." Edward said. "Any other suggestions?""I've got nothing" Kath mumbled lankly."Does it look like I have any reliable geographical skills of the States?" Daniel sneered while imitating the typical Troender-Norwegian English accent."I'll tag along whatever the rest you guys decide to do." Thomas said while scouting out the window."Fine, But I'm taking the lead!" Garry snorted while letting his eyes slowly glide over everyone in the room."Well this was... easier than I expected." Edward mumbled surprised. "So no one objects then? Fine. We'll go along with your idea Allan. But we'll need to make sure we don't go too fast though. Alright, pack your stuff. We're heading south-east within two hours. We'll need to circle around Titusville first."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Three days later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Not to complain or anything but why the hell are we still marching in the dark?" Thomas whispered with poorly suppressed frustration."Stop whining. We're at the gun shop soon. Just keep marching.""What good will it do to crash at some looted gun shop, Garry? This is stupid! We should just sneak into one of these houses.""Thomas got a point, Garry. It doesn't matter if that shop was run by your cousin. The zombies won't wait just because you got an idea." Daniel said angrily.Garry sighed annoyed. "You can see it over there. See? Your whining was for nothing. Now lets make sure to clean it out. Melee weapons only."

The gang neutralized 4 crawlers on the property and started sealing off doors and windows.Allan suddenly freezes "What is that sound?"Everyone stops in their tracks and listens. "Steps?""Edward, can you s--" Kath is brutally interrupted as the freshly put up boards burst in and Edward is thrown back as a dark appearance comes cracking through the incomplete barrier.

Thomas' eyes widen in terror "Roider!"A chorus of cackles are heard as four more appearances struggle to enter the building.The first Berserker struggles to drag its leg free which is trapped in between the other struggling Berserkers.Edward quickly starts to crawl towards the rest of the gang."Five Roiders!? What the hell is going on!?" Allan screams."We need to go further into the building! This room is way too wide!" Daniel desperately yells."N-no! We can't let them further in! We must take 'em here!" Garry loudly commands!"But--""I'm the boss here and you punks do as I say without any argument! Now go!""The shotgun! Use the fucking s--"

The first Berserker is over them before Thomas is able to complete his sentence.It grabs Thomas by the shirt and throws him straight into Allan. Daniel grabs his hammer and swings at the Berserker's head but is unable to generate enough force to the swing; to which the Berserker kindly replies by giving him a backhand punch straight into the face like if he was just some pest. It proceeds to grab Thomas, lift him up and slam him into the shop counter. It grabs the digital sum counter of the cash register and rips it off before then stabbing Thomas in the neck with it.Kath jumps forward and knocks it across the head with the butt of her rifle. The Berserker's eyes pops out of its skull and it falls lifeless down on the ground.Kath is then suddenly grabbed and a fist is firmly planted in her guts. The three other Berserkers runs past her like if calling dibs on the rest of the humans.A spray of bullets are released from Allan's Glock but fails to hit any heads. One of the Berserkers tackles him and starts jabbing at his torso while another throws Edward to the floor and starts to kick wildly at him.The third one attempts to Garry but is instead grabbed by the ear and one of Garry's powerful palms slams into its temple.After getting to his feet, Daniel buries his knife in the neck of the Berserker pounding Kath. Failing to kill it, it turns around and grabs Daniel, lifts him up and starts running, intending to slam him into a wall at high speed.Instead it blindly charges toward an unfortified window resulting in Daniel being smashed through it and falling on his back down the slope below the window.Everything spins as he hits the ground.Daniel starts to feel cold. Very cold. And hungry. ----------------------------------------------------

Daniel's eyes open as he is shock awake. His eyes rapidly starts to study the ceiling. He quickly gets half-way up and tumbles towards the closest door, blankets still partially wrapped around him.His muscles scream in horror at the relatively small movements and cold stabs every centimeter of his body like daggers.He assumed to be dead and in hell. Nothing else made sense to him. There was just no way he was alive after having collapsed.But which deity had he rejected that happened to be real?He opens the door hastily and finds himself in a hallway.His vision is cloudy and he is barely able to see the appearance further down the hall. Suddenly he feels two hands coming from the room he was in grab him from behind.He is spun around and stares straight into worried face of Kenneth who appears to be saying something. Daniel doesn't catch what he says. Instead his eyes start to tear and he falls to his knees.Everything. Every single moment of restraint, every suppressed emotion, every pain; it all came pouring into the teenagers cold and fragile body. He bursts into tears. He weeps like he had never weeped before and sinks together in front of Kenneth's feet.The only reason his weeping didn't become the equivalent of a scream was because his throat was way too sore and his lungs too tired.

All three of the apartment dwellers were looking at Ignot. Suspicion, fear, even a little loathing were factored into their gazes, all which Ignot simply passed over. The tension between the groups was palpable as Ignot simply stared at the others. Liam and Alex both looked between the groups, but said nothing. The whole room seemed to stretch into a piano wire that was coiled up so tight that it could snap at any second.

A simple sigh escaped from Frank’s lips. Ignot turned to look at the burly man and watched as his ran a hand through his hair defeated. Frank’s eyes traveled up to meet Ignot’s sunglasses and a subtle flare of rage flared up.

“You break down our door,” Frank began calmly, his voice soft and tired. “Then you charge in, pointing guns at us. You get us down, search us, and then point a few harsh words toward us. I’m about ready to punch a wall in frustration, God knows the little one is scared, and if this one wasn’t Christian, I’m sure you’d be on fire from the sheer words that would come out of her mouth.” Frank paused and looked out the window next to them.

“However, “ He said, sighing once more, “This is no home. This wasn’t even a shelter. We’re cold, hungry, and lost. I’d be stupid not to take you up on solid shelter.” Frank looked back at Ignot, tense and angry.

“But don’t, for one second, think that you earned our loyalty or our gratitude. First impressions hit the hardest, and buddy, I don’t like you. I don’t like your attitude, I don’t like your scarier-than-thou getup, and I hate your manner of speaking.” Frank was still seething, but managed to keep his anger in check.

“But we will come with you.” He said finally. Ignot nodded.

“Good decision. Now, grab a bag and help us scavenge quickly. Darkness is coming soon, and it will only get colder. Look for some winter clothes too. 515 and 403 had coats.” Ignot said, spinning around on his heel and walking toward the door.

“That goes for everyone. Wrap it up, work your way down and grab whatever you had marked for salvage. Frank and Bethany, you can go with Liam and Alex to salvage. Lets move.” Ignot walked out the door, shouldering a larger bag before disappearing. Bethany soothed Anthony’s head and shook hers.

“He is a frightening individual. Is he always that…brusque?” Bethany said, mostly to herself. Alex got a half-smirk on her face and patted Beth on the back.

“You really have no idea.”

3 hours later

“Come on Billie, stop pacing.” Kai said, motioning toward a couch. “You know how Ignot is. He is thorough and efficient to a fault. He’s on his way home now, leading the rest of them.” Kai was leaning back in one of the recliners, unfortunately it was broken and only stayed in the reclined position. But no one really minded it. Billie, however, was pacing back and forth on the floor in front of the couch, hands constantly moving, eyes never really focusing.

“But one of them could have gotten frostbite, which slows progress and is painful in the first stages…or hurt themselves on rubble…and don’t even get me started on zombies…” She said, suddenly stopping and looking toward the window. It was quiet for a few seconds as she stared out the window. Snow had started to fall in mounds after they had gotten back and at some points it was so windy that it seemed to be going sideways.

“Did you hear that?” Billie asked to Kai, who was stirring his rapidly cooling hot coco.

“Hear what?” Kai asked, stopping all movement, his eyes focused on Billie’s movements. But then Kai heard it. Creaking. From the Fire escape.

“Oh thank god…” Billie said, trotting over to the window and looking out. She sighed out loud when she saw a few figures trudging back on the street. And as soon as she sighed, she nearly screamed as Ignot’s face popped into full view, taking her completely by surprise. She took a few seconds, hands clutched to her chest, before walked forward and unlocking the window. He nodded to her and patted her on the shoulder as he dropped the bag he had on his shoulders with a resounding ‘thunk’.

Billie and Ignot helped everyone inside and resting before Ignot finally took off his scarf and beanie and walked into the kitchen. He stopped and pasued at the doorway, before looking over his shoulder at the frozen and exhausted group. Kai was already passing out hot coco and small snacks to the group, helping people out of coats and talking to the newcomers.

“Welcome home.”

Logged

"May I take a moment to tell you the joys of National Socialism?" - Also Red Beret

Lowering his pack of salvage to the floor, Liam gratefully accepted a steaming mug from Kai. He sighed with relief as the delicious warmth spread through his numbed fingers. Looking around, he caught Billie's eye and offered her a half-smile, pleased to see the medic and her charges had made it back in one piece.

Logged

Now hollow fires burn out to black, and lights are guttering low.Square your shoulders, lift your pack, and leave your friends and go.Oh, never fear, man, naught's to dread, look not to left nor right:In all the endless road you tread, there's nothing but the night.